Can AI Write Recipes?

When searching for a recipe online, most home cooks look for a reputable publication or chef to provide clearly written directions in a format that's familiar to understand and execute. These recipes are usually tested many times by multiple people before being published, implementing feedback and making changes as needed. This is why Ina Garten recommends following a recipe exactly before experimenting with a dish. As labor and food costs rise, some companies are looking to artificial intelligence to write recipes. But can AI write the same quality of recipes that a human can?

We recently encountered a recipe for potato soup on Blend Recipes Hub written by an AI chef named Jamie who is described as having diverse knowledge of cooking techniques and international cuisine. According to the bio, Jamie "takes great care in understanding the intricate balance of flavors and provides practical tips for making the most of each recipe." Without a mouth and tastebuds, it's unclear how artificial intelligence can truly understand balancing flavors. The recipe begins with a table of contents that includes 17 items. This begs the question: Why would a simple, four-ingredient soup need a table of contents similar to a fiction novel? 

You'd likely spend almost as much time reading the entire website than you would making the 30 minute recipe. In an additionally strange layout choice, the recipe isn't written in a traditional format, but rather as a large chart of each of the four ingredients, their quantities, and "purpose in the recipe," which contains information that is later regurgitated in the rest of the steps. For the amount of words used in the ingredients section alone, the quantity of potatoes is still vague and lacking specifics, like weight or cup measurements, as a large potato is a subjective measurement and can vary widely.

Moreover, 5 cups of liquid to 4 large potatoes is a high liquid-to-vegetable ratio for a soup, especially considering that 4 large potatoes could be anywhere between ½ and ¾ pounds each. The steps that follow the ingredients chart read like lengthy journal entries rather than concise, clear directions. What alarms me most as a recipe developer and chef is the lack of salt and seasonings. Salt, a key factor in seasoning starchy and dairy-based foods, is not even mentioned until after the soup is blended, suggesting "a pinch of salt and black pepper" at the very end, "if you like." Creating layers of flavor and proper seasoning begins with the first step of cooking, so leaving the seasoning as a suggestion at the very end of the recipe isn't wise. 

Along with this misstep, there is no mention of the levels of salt and sodium that can be present in the broth or stock used, which can vary widely and will affect the outcome of the recipe. While artificial intelligence may be a good resource for drafting an important email, it leaves a lot to be desired in terms of writing recipes as it lacks the human experience and nuances of cooking, an extremely tactile and sensory experience. If you're interested in a similar soup recipe written by real, experienced humans, look no further than our collection of comforting potato soup recipes, along with our best ingredients to upgrade homemade potato soup.